Pretentious Smiles
by Shading Source
Summary: AU Yagami Taichi, star actor of the school, his life gets turned upside down when multi-cultural transfer student Ishida Yamato shows up and rivals his position on the stage. Also, Yamato seems to make several advances at Taichi’s body. Yaoi Taito Yamachi


Well then. Hey there, all of you!! It's been a while since I updated, so I decided to prepare a little story for you all. I haven't updated Sights in a while, but rest assured, I'm working on it again and -will- finish it. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves with this story. It will have 3 chapters, and rated M for later lemons / smutty goodness!!

(And yes, I'm Bura-chan, for those who know that nickname. Others may just forget this comment!)

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****Pretentious smiles**

Chapter 1

"For what reason hast thou made me endure these endless sufferings, my lord? I beg of thee, have mercy upon thy servant, for I am merely existing to serve my master. I have neither hopes nor dreams of any other than thee, which is the reason for my honest plead. If thou released me of my bounded wrists and ankles, forever enchained with the threads of loyalty, then I can only swear upon my own life, that I shall return to thy side. If only—"

"Alright, Yagami-kun! Please stop there."

The complete silence that had hung in the air, only decorated with the brunet's warm voice, finally broke as many whispers and soft sighs of relief filled the large theater. An elder man, perhaps in his mid fifties, took his seat again as he hastily scribbled down some notes. He sipped his already cold coffee an thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

"Yagami-kun, please come over here for a second," he called, interrupting the smiling boy in his quiet conversation with an other, blue-haired boy, a classmate of his. The brunet approached the small table which served as the operating desk of the supervisor. The boy ran a damp hand through his neatly gelled down hair, many strands violently springing out in every possible direction as the fingers combed through the locks that had been put down with a lot of effort on the make-up party's behalf. The other hand wiped away a single drop of sweat that ran down the boy's forehead, an exhausted yet satisfied smile on the tanned boy's delicate features.

"Yes, Mizuaki-sensei?" He answered while letting out a deep breath. His hand finally left his hair and instead pulled at the tight collar he wore, loosening the restricting article from his neck.

"Yagami-kun, that was as impressive as ever. Well done."

The words caused even more blood to run to the boy's already hot cheeks, now making them flushed from not only the warmth and concentration, but from slight embarrassment as well, even though he was very used to it by now.

"Ah, all thanks to your guidance, Mizuaki-sensei. I would have never gotten this far without your help and directions." The boy smiled modestly as he looked around, his eyes no longer fixed on the man sitting in front of him but instead scanning the large theater, a facility unique to the Ourankoku school building. Quite the crowd had gathered as the red, plush chairs were occupied more and more since the beginning of the drama club's practice session. If he wasn't someone who kept his thoughts for himself instead of speaking them out loud, he'd say the growth in amount of spectators was because of the increased capabilities of the drama club, perhaps under guidance of none other himself. But even he had to admit, it was also thanks to Mizuaki-sensei, the teacher who'd previously taught Ancient Literature only but suddenly decided to restore the dismantled drama club with, and he couldn't deny it himself, Yagami Taichi as their star player.

And ever since their first official performance, the drama club had gained more budget every semester, resulting in the restoration of the large theater which had been abandoned and disregarded for many years since its last use.

Taichi took a deep breath as he politely nodded at whatever Mizuaki had to say next, not really listening as he looked around once more. The drama club had gained a few more people in the past few weeks, bringing them to a grand total of 14 members. Oddly enough, even though Taichi was the youngest in the group everyone looked up to him as if he were their senpai. And he supposed he was, at least while they were in the theater.

"Well then, Yagami-kun, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Did you manage to get a few hours off to come here earlier?" Taichi now had to try his best to smile innocently while pretending to be modest. Because a dire truth about the 16 year old boy was, that Yagami Taichi was not in the least bit modest when it came to his acting skills. Sure enough, he did not show that to anyone else in the world, all the while wearing a mask of perfect modesty and shyness. But again, all due to his acting, it was but a simple task to do so. And it was the exact same reason he always got his way with the teachers.

"Ah yes, Momomari-sensei didn't mind. She even told me she was looking forward to the performance." Taichi finally allowed the corners of his mouth to relax as he felt his pretentious smile wasn't needed anymore. Bowing slightly to signal his leave, he already turned around but before he took a single step he realized something which made him turn yet again, facing Mizuaki-sensei once more.

"Ah, sensei, have you found someone for the Shirosuke part yet?" A faint hint of curiosity could be heard in the boy's warm voice.

Taichi honestly did wonder who his counterpart would be. And even if that person's role was of someone who was supposed to be in his mid-thirties, Mizuaki-sensei had decided it would still be played by an other teen. But as of yet, they still hadn't found anyone who could match up with Taichi's skills. Most actors in the drama club looked nearly pathetic, or so Taichi thought, when they played next to him. As such, Taichi wasn't satisfied with one of them playing the person he'd interact with most in the play.

But Mizuaki-sensei shook his head, disappointment obvious in his low voice.

"No, we still haven't. We have had quite the number of volunteers for the role, but… none of them seem to fit it. We do need to find someone fast though, since the premiere is going to be in one month." The man sighed deeply as he rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the ripples that formed there.

"To tell you the truth, Yamagi-kun, I say we're going to need a miracle if he want to find someone this fast. It's already going to be quite a task for that someone to catch up with us at the point where we are, seeing how we've progressed surprisingly far in the past few days. Because of that… We're really going to need a miracle on this one."

Taichi nodded thoughtfully before forcing a smile on his face once more.

"Alright then, Mizuaki-sensei. We'll just have to trust ourselves and whoever shows up for the role. I'm sure we can do it," he nodded once more before bowing again and turning around, his lips forming a tight line the moment he was sure Mizuaki-sensei couldn't see his face anymore.

_Damn it, _he thought as he bit his lip. _If I can't perform just because some stupid kid can't keep up with me…_

* * *

Taichi sighed deeply with a content smile on his face as he exited the small shower cabin, letting steam still surround him as it formed small droplets of water on his tanned skin. He rolled his head to stretch his neck as he picked up his little bag of shampoo, lotion, body gel and some other stuff. A towel hung loosely wrapped around his slim waist, though it came dangerously low on his hips.

Taichi had to admit there were quite some advantages to being in the drama club. The school building did not only house a grand theater, but a large changing room with lockers as well. And showers.

The best thing off it all was that those privileges were member exclusive and since he was the only one who used the showers, the others finding it more troublesome to shower here than at home, he tried to use the unique moment of privacy as often as possible.

But then again, he always felt more cheerful and optimistic after tending to his own needs.

He put down his little bag on a bench and turned the key that was still left in his locker, opening it slowly. His damp hands groped around for a while and he was about to take his clothes out but he stopped when he heard someone approaching. Only a few seconds later a blue-haired boy turned his head around the corner, though his eyes were closed tightly.

"Are you decent, Taichi?"

Taichi chuckled as he readjusted the towel on his hips, making sure it wouldn't fall off.

"Heh, yeah, Joe. It's safe. I won't scar you for life."

The blue-haired boy slowly opened his eyes before a nervous smile appeared on his face.

"A-Ah, Taichi. Koushiro and I have finally figured out what was wrong with the lighting and we fixed it just now. So it won't trouble you anymore."

Taichi smiled warmly at his classmate, who was actually 9 months older than him, and he hoped the teen would just calm down already.

"Thanks, Joe. That's great. I'm sure everything will go a lot smoother tomorrow."

Joe smiled nervously again, rubbing his neck as his eyes darted around the room, not knowing where to focus on.

"Well then… Taichi, I'll be going with Koushiro then. Umm… Mizuaki-sensei and the rest already left so you're the last one here, okay? I was told to remind you to lock up."

Taichi nodded as he tried to reassure the tall, nervous guy with another smile, hoping he wouldn't notice how much effort it cost him to keep a nice face.

"I will. I'm just going to put on some clothes and I'm heading home right after that. Thanks Joe."

The taller boy bowed lightly before quickly disappearing , finally leaving Taichi alone again. The brunet sighed quietly as he made sure the footsteps were far away until he pulled the towel off and folded it neatly. Quickly pulling out a pair of boxers, he put them on and soon dressed up completely. Taking longer than needed, he picked up his belongings and placed them carefully in his large bag. He was about to zip his bag closed but something in his pocket vibrated, demanding his attention. He fished out his mobile phone and saw it was a message from Daisuke, a boy one class lower than him.

Hey Taichi,  
There's this new transfer  
student. He's really awesome.  
You should meet him. I heard  
he's going to join the drama  
club. Anyway, talk to you soon.  
Daisuke. 

A thin, brown eyebrow was raised as Taichi wondered who his friend was talking about, but shrugged it off eventually, deciding it wasn't really worth his attention. If there was a new kid who wanted to join the drama club, then he's welcome to.

_As long as he doesn't pull me down, I'm satisfied._

After that final thought he closed his locker and turned the key, shoving it in his pocket immediately before grabbing his bag in his right hand and making his way out of the changing rooms.

* * *

-The next day-

Taichi hid a drawn out yawn with the back of his hand as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the board in front of him. Trying to keep his face lit up and gentle, he inwardly wandered just why the hell it was necessary for the class representative to hold such a long speech about nothing less than an increase in garbage being thrown on the school grounds by some childish kids. But, he guessed that's why they call it 'childish'.

He was about to let his eyes wander and see if anything interesting was going on outside when the door slid open. Reluctantly turning his head towards the entrance, his eyes closed slightly as he frowned.

Entering the classroom was a blond guy, perhaps a few months older than Taichi, and probably a few inches taller than him as well. The boy's skin was very pale compared to his own, Taichi noticed as he carefully observed the new teen.

"Ah, that's right. Everyone, this is Ishida-kun. He'll be transferring into this class from now on. Ishida-kun, please introduce yourself."

The blond guy nodded, his eyes emitting a strange mix of boredom and hospitality at the same time. When he spoke up, Taichi couldn't help but notice he had a foreign accent.

"Nice to meet you. I am Ishida Yamato, 17 years old. I was born in Osaka, but 5 years ago my father and I moved to Germany. Now, we've come back and I'll be living here again. That's it," he concluded. Taichi frowned deeper while he inched his face a little bit closer, leaning his elbows on his desk. Deep brown eyes carefully took in this new person.

The new guy spoke with a very strange tone, and it was not just his accent, Taichi realized. Even though the voice was gentle and modest, much like his own, it hid a certain amount of arrogance. As if he was absolutely sure of himself, something which was rare for someone who was introducing himself in front of many strangers. In fact, this Ishida Yamato seemed completely comfortable, not showing a single sign of nervousness or anxiety. And that in turn made Taichi feel on edge. This new guy was acting way to relaxed and confident.

Taichi eyed the boy suspiciously as he took a seat only two rows away from where he sat, which was next to the window. Throughout the entire day, brown eyes were fixated on the blonds' figure.

And when finally the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, he stood up immediately and walked towards the new guy's table. However, before he could raise his voice, the boy had already taken out a mobile phone and was dialing quickly. Within seconds, he spoke up, his voice slightly higher and more enthusiastic than before.

_"Ah, guten Tag, Herr Starberger. Ja, Yamato Ishida. Ich wollte Sie informieren das alles gut geht. Diese Schule kann man mit keiner meiner Vorhergehenden vergleichen… Ah, und der Dramaverein ist sehr einfach. Ich verspreche Ihnen, es ist kein Problem… Danke schön… Ja, auf Wiedersehen!"_

And with that, the boy hung up. He lifted himself from his chair and picking up his bag, he walked straight to the door, not once paying attention to Taichi.

"Hey! Ishida…-kun, right?" Taichi called after him, a satisfied tug at the corners of his mouth as the boy turned around.

"Yes? And you are?"

Taichi put on a warm smile again as he approached the other, reaching out his hand as a friendly gesture. The boy's eyes moved from the hand reached out to him and the face of the person reaching out, before conjuring a big smile on his face as well, taking the hand with a firm grip.

"Ah, wait. You must be Taichi-kun. Now that I look at you carefully, you must be him."

Taichi inwardly wondered what the other was talking about but he decided to just smile instead.

"Yes… Of course… Exactly as those girls described… Brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin and a ridiculously good-looking face," Yamato said with a chuckle. Taichi's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he checked if he'd heard the other correctly.

"W-W-What did you just say?" He asked. Of course, he didn't stutter out of embarrassment or because he was nervous. He was able to easily suppress those feelings long ago because of his acting classes. But it wasn't everyday a stranger called you good-looking.

"Ah, pardon me. I might have been a bit to abrupt there. Excuse me," he said, though his smile, which looked more like a smirk with the second, betrayed his amusement.

"Ishida-kun, right… Are you…" But Taichi couldn't finish his sentence as Yamato suddenly closed in on him, never letting go of his hand. Before he knew it, their faces were only two inches apart and Taichi could feel the other's warm breath on his lips.

"Just call me Yamato… I heard you are quite the actor… I'm looking forward to seeing you perform on stage." Yamato and Taichi remained still for a few more seconds, feeling as if the entire world had just stopped for that moment. Taichi could feel his breath become ragged and his cheeks getting flushed but somehow his body wouldn't move.

He didn't even need to move though, since Yamato soon pulled away from him and let go of his hand, his face now plastered with a friendly smile again.

"Anyway, Taichi, I'll see you in the theater, I guess!" And with that, and a happy grin, Yamato turned around on his heels before finally walking out of the classroom. Taichi couldn't move one step, even if he wanted to, as he remained standing where he was, not sure what had just happened.

But he quickly shook his head as he willed himself to calm down. He steadied his breath before rolling his head on his neck again.

_What the hell… is he…_

* * *

"To accuse me of such deeds, what evil has poisoned your mind and compels you to do say all these? Is it not I who is your master, your savior? Was it not myself who freed you from the clutches of that wretched orphanage, the thing you claim to dread most?"

Yagami Taichi's eyes widened with every word that left that mouth, his eyebrows rising up his forehead with every movement that body made. His lungs had become unable to extract the oxygen in the air and give it to the fuel of life that flows through his tanned body. In short, Yagami Taichi was stunned. To stunned to even pretend he was fine. As he stood there, the plush chair behind him completely forgotten as he rose up to get a better look at the stage, he could only stare in awe with his mouth left wide open.

Yagami Taichi was… He hated to admit it to himself… Impressed. This new transfer student, Ishida Yamato, was in some way amazing. He couldn't find any other appropriate word for it.

"Alright! Ishida-kun! That will be all! Please come to my table for a second!" Mizuaki-sensei's voice called through the silence that remained even after Yamato had stopped speaking. Every student that was currently in the theater for whatever reason they might've had, were all stopped dead in their tracks as soon as Yamato had entered the stage and immediately transformed into a completely different person. It was almost magical to witness, breath taking to listen to, but most off all life threatening if you were Yagami Taichi, who realized his number one position in the drama club was getting compromised quickly.

A satisfied smile adorned the pale face of the blond teen as he jumped off the stage and casually walked towards the supervisor. On his way, he passed Taichi and the moment they stood next for each other, even if it was only a split-second for the others, Taichi felt as though time had stopped temporarily.

"You might want to close your mouth, Taichi," Yamato mumbled quietly, though he knew the other had heard him. With a single finger he tapped Taichi's chin before passing him completely, but in a flash Taichi saw the arrogance on the other's face.

Taichi clenched his fists as he closed his mouth, thinking he'd been in awe long enough by now.

_D-Damn him! Who does he think he is?!_

With frustration well hidden in his chocolate brown eyes he watched Yamato carefully as he stood next to Mizuaki-sensei and smiled politely, eerily resembling how he always acted in that situation. Yamato listened to what the older man had to say and at one point he nodded enthusiastically, a large smile on his face. But Taichi could see the secret arrogance that hid behind that smile.

"Yagami-kun! Could you come over here, please?" Mizuaki-sensei suddenly called, pulling Taichi out of his dangerous glaring and forced him to put a smile on his face as well.

"Ah! Coming!" He replied cheerfully as he approached Yamato and Mizuaki-sensei.

"Yagami-kun, I've got great news. Ishida-kun has accepted the role of Shirosuke. I suppose miracles really do happen," the man said with a genuine grin.

However, Taichi froze on the spot as he realized what was just said and watched in horror as the corners of Yamato's mouth lifted up in a smirk.

"H-He did? That's…wonderful…" Taichi managed to mutter, not really sure what else to say. But he didn't have to, since Mizuaki-sensei already started talking again.

"Well then, Yagami-kun, could you please fill in Ishida-kun about his role? Seeing how you'll be working together pretty close, you might want to start right away."

Yamato's eyes lit up as he walked towards Taichi and wrapped his arm around the other's shoulder, grinning widely.

"Hehe, sounds great, doesn't it, Taichi?" He shook the other's smaller body and a hint of distress appeared on the delicately tanned face. But soon, with an equally wide smile, Taichi shook Yamato's arm off him and bowed slightly to Mizuaki-sensei.

"Alright. I'll fill him in right away. Ishida, follow me," he said in with a lower voice as he walked past the table and up in the stands, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs with a sigh. Seconds later Yamato also appeared and jumped over Taichi and took the seat next to him.

"Well then, Taichi, tell me something about yourself, will you," Yamato asked with a slight chuckle, the amusement at the boy's discomfort obvious.

"O-Oi, I'm supposed to tell you about your role, not mine or anything about myself, got it?" Taichi replied firmly, his gentle façade now gone as he send the grinning teen a dangerous look.

"Fine, fine," Yamato answered with an exaggerated sigh, waving his hand in front of his face dramatically.

"You're going to play Shirosuke, a 36 year old male. Remember that the play takes place in the 17th century, so the dialogue and some locations are pretty old-fashioned."

Yamato nodded thoughtfully, a serious frown suddenly on his face, though he was really only pretending. In the end, it all irritated Taichi even more, but he still continued.

"You've had a pretty rotten life. About seventeen years ago you lost your wife when she gave birth to your child, a baby boy. You raised him for five years on your own, but when you two walked home together after spending a day at the market you are robbed by muggers, who accidently kill your son in the process. Infuriated, you decide to prosecute them in court by yourself, the bitter rage of having lost your two precious ones driving you. Still with me so far?" Taichi finally asked as he took a pause to regain his breath. Yamato nodded again, not saying a single word as he seemed to memorize everything Taichi told him. So, Taichi decided to continue.

"In court, you demanded the highest punishment possible, the death sentence. You manage to convince the judges and the muggers are all killed as punishment for their many crimes. In the end, you become a famous and successful prosecutor, but remember that you have still lost the two people you loved most. So you're very bitter, okay?"

Yamato nodded again, seemingly thinking deeply. It was silent for a minute before Yamato spoke up.

"And what about you?"

Taichi was a bit taken back by the sudden question, though soon recovered as he began talking again.

"I'm playing Hiraki, a 16 year old slave who works in your manor. Actually, I'm the son of one of the muggers you prosecuted. My mother also died giving birth to me, and since my father was executed as well, I'm parentless and have lived in an orphanage for a few years. You, Shirosuke, feel guilty when you find out I'm now an orphan thanks to you and decide to take me as your slave so you can ensure I have a decent life. But I… I don't know who you really are. To me, Hiraki, you are just the man who saved me from the horrible orphanage I lived in. That is why I sort of idolize you as my master." As Taichi said that his cheeks got a little warm and he felt a slight blush creep up on his face.

"That's where the play starts. During the play, I find out you are the one who was responsible for my father's death and that's when I'm torn with adoring you as my master, or hating you for making me an orphan. So there you have it. Remember, even though you've got the lengthiest history, I'm still the lead character in this play, got it?"

Taichi scowled slightly as he desperately tried to defend his number one position in the play, hoping Yamato would just go along with it.

The blond seemed to mumble a few things to himself for a while before his face lit up.

"Well, that sounds interesting, indeed! I'll be looking forward to having you adore me!" Yamato cheered as he stood up and jumped over Taichi again.

"W-What? Hey, Ishida, you can't just…"

However, Yamato already started walking, not turning around.

"Hey! Ishida! You can't just leave! We still have to practice!" Taichi yelled after the exiting teen. However, Yamato merely waved without even bothering to turn around. Within seconds he reached the door and opened it. He turned his head and send a strange glare at Taichi before exiting the theater and closing the door behind him.

Taichi's mouth hung open as he was about to yell something else after Yamato, but it was no use anymore. He'd already left.

So, instead, Taichi allowed himself to collapse in his chair once again with a very deep sigh and an irritated frown on his face.

_That guy is so frikkin' frustrating! Who the hell does he think he is, with his stupid looks?!_

**To be continued**

Please do review! It will help me finish my stories!!


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